Last November, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo accepted 40 endangered Virginia big-eared bats (Corynorhinus townsendii virginianus) to establish a security population and scientifically develop husbandry practices–a feat no one else has undertaken with this subspecies, the zoo said in a recent news statement.

“In the months since, efforts to keep the bats alive have proved challenging, but the lessons Zoo scientists have learned will help save these, and other, insectivorous bats in the future,” the zoo said.

The bat colony has been living at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia. “The possible extinction of an endangered subspecies, and the loss of its essential role in local ecosystems, were the reasons the National Zoo accepted the high-risk project,” the zoo said.

“Over the past four months, the majority of the bats have died; 11 bats remain in the National Zoo’s colony,” the zoo added.

“The initial challenge the team faced was how to feed the animals.

“Virginia big-eared bats, which are a subspecies of the Townsend’s big-eared bat (Corynorhinuss townsendii), eat on the wing (in flight).

“While some in the security colony successfully learned to eat mealworms out of pans, others did not, sometimes resulting in their death.

“Some of the bats that ate mealworms did not adequately groom themselves, which resulted in dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). Others developed foot, toe and digit problems that, in part, may have caused deadly bacterial infections that spread rapidly through the blood stream despite aggressive treatments with antibiotics and fluids.”

“Virginia big-eared bats face an imminent threat from white-nose syndrome,” said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National White-Nose Syndrome Coordinator Jeremy Coleman. “Developing a successful captive breeding program is a reasonable precautionary step to ensuring the long-term viability of the subspecies. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo was the only organization to accept the challenge of this risky, groundbreaking, but essential endeavor.”

Examining Virginia big-eared bats.

Photo courtesy of West Virginia Division of Natural Resources

Because it is extraordinarily difficult to maintain insect-eating bats in captivity, extensive planning and preparations went into designing the project, the zoo said.

The zoo formed a bat care team made up of biologists, husbandry and animal care specialists, veterinarians, and a nutritionist who relied on protocols developed by the Virginia Big-Eared Bat Group convened by FWS. “The SCBI team worked around the clock to care for, and learn from, the colony,” the zoo said.

“We expected some of the feeding challenges,” said David Wildt, head of the National Zoo’s Species Survival Center. “But we were surprised to learn how sensitive this particular subspecies of bat is. Even the smallest change in environment or husbandry practices seemed to affect the ability of the bats to adapt to their new environment.”

National Zoo researchers found that bats learned to eat from the bowl faster when confined in a small enclosure for a few hours. In the future, the zoo said, scientists could use this information to better provide for the needs of the subspecies in captivity. “The bat team learned a great deal about enclosures and medical care required for insectivorous bats in captivity.”

“Faced with the possibility of white-nose syndrome eliminating the entire subspecies, we took decisive action to attempt to protect the bats,” Coleman said. “Together with the Zoo, we will examine this project, take what we have learned and be ready to apply it to captive propagation projects in the future.”

White-nose syndrome continues to devastate wild bat colonies. The fungus is now present in caves in West Virginia that support the largest hibernating populations of Virginia big-eared bats in the world. It has spread to 10 states, from New Hampshire to Tennessee, and more endangered bat species are now within its range.

Comments

D Hyatt

Mineral Wells

June 14, 2014, 4:28 pm

to Eli Murphy: Write a FOIA to secure the documents you need from the govt or visit the PEER website. You will find that the ‘team’ the zoo convened were not bat specialists and none of them were equipped to care for the bats. The animals died because the National Zoo did not listen to bat specialists and experts. Captive colonies of insectivorous bats have been successful kept for 20 years at Bat World Sanctuary.

Eli Murphy

Tallahassee, FL

December 2, 2013, 12:15 pm

Hello, I’m writing an argumentative thesis on this controversy, and have been searching far and wide for the actual conclusion of this case. Were the bats transferred, or left with the CRC?

Husker

June 21, 2010, 9:45 pm

“Some of the bats that ate mealworms did not adequately groom themselves, which resulted in dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). Others developed foot, toe and digit problems that, in part, may have caused deadly bacterial infections that spread rapidly through the blood stream despite aggressive treatments with antibiotics and fluids.”Auto Shipping
“Virginia big-eared bats face an imminent threat from white-nose syndrome,” said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National White-Nose Syndrome Coordinator Jeremy Coleman. “Developing a successful captive breeding program is a reasonable precautionary step to ensuring the long-term viability of the subspecies. The Smithsonian’s National Zoo was the only organization to accept the challenge of this risky, groundbreaking, but essential endeavor.”

jgweitzel

March 13, 2010, 10:03 am

This is such an unfortunate and preventable thing that has transpired. The decision was made by unqualified people to keep these bats at CRC where 75% of them have perished in a few short months. This was not a “complicated, high-risk, extremely difficult endeavor.” These are insectivorous bats just like all the other insectivorous bats that have been raised in captivity for decades by hundreds of bat care specialists. Having worked in the rehabilitation of bats for years, it is appalling that these endangered bats were essentially allowed to starve to death and kept in inadequate conditions. Why a collective decision was made without consulting experts to ensure a successful transition into captivity is mind-boggling. Please refer to the March 9th press release at Peer.org for the actual facts, including the consultants report and pictures of the bats. Please spread the word:http://www.peer.org/news/news_id.php?row_id=1314. For the sake of the 10 bats that are still alive, they absolutely must be moved to a facility that specializes in bat care if they are to be saved. Transferring them will not kill them. This is what bat care specialists do, accept sick and dying animals that are transferred to bat care facilities and bring them back to heath. This can, and SHOULD, be done. The species has already suffered a preventable blow. The focus now should be to table egos, eliminate red tape, save these last few bats before it’s too late. Please e-mail Barbara Douglass and Jeremy Coleman at USFWS and advise those bats be transferred out of CRC and to a qualified rehabilitator:barbara_Douglas@fws.gov – Jeremy_Coleman@fws.gov;

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